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From the Express & Star, 9th November 2007

Campaign to protect castle site

A campaign group has been reformed in a desperate bid to save Hartlebury Castle, near Kidderminster, from falling into the hands of developers. The campaigners have called for the building to be retained as a tourist attraction and for Church Commissioners to be prevented from selling off a famous library.

The Castle has been the home of the Bishops of Worcester since 1255 and the library was built by Bishop Hurd in 1782. Campaigners fear the building could be sold and the library dismantled after Church Commissioners decided to base the Bishop in Worcester.

Now The Friends of the Hurd Library and Hartlebury Castle, are campaigning for the building to be taken over by Worcestershire County Council, which currently holds a lease on part of the building which houses the County Museum. They are planning an inaugural meeting at the Castle on November 23rd.

Spokesman for the group George Ward said: “We believe that the public, who already visit the museum in large numbers, would welcome the opportunity to view and use this historic building with its beautiful rooms and library.”

Councillor Maurice Broomfield, who while the former chairman of Worcestershire County Council, pledged to do everything he could to save the building and library, said: “The council is still in talks with the Church Commissioners about the future of Hartlebury Castle and the Hurd Library.”

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From The Worcester Standard, 7th May 2008

MP urges restraint over castle sale

Peter Luff has urged the owners of Hartlebury Castle to give Worcestershire County Council more time to secure the future of the historic building after it threatened to sell it to the public. The MP for mid-Worcestershire has responded to a letter from the Church Commissioners which said if the council failed to reach a decision for the site in the next few months it would have no other option but to put the 13th century fortified palace on the open market.

Until recently the grade one listed building was home to the Bishop of Worcester. However, the Bishop was relocated to the city centre last year by the Church Commisioners and since then two-thirds of the building has been left empty. The other third is taken up by the sitting tenants The County Museum and the Hurd Library - both currently run by the county council.

Mr. Luff said the County Museum and the Hurd Library were so important that they were of international significance and should be maintained at all costs, adding that any uncertainty over the future of the building was down to short-sighted planning.

“The Church Commissioners created this problem by removing the Bishop without having a clear plan as to what would happen when the property became vacant," he said.

He added that council should not be expected to write an open cheque for the upkeep or purchase of the castle but should instead be given time to produce a long-term plan for the use of the whole building.

"We can’t take any risks. We must all continue to work together to secure the future of this fine building for the people of Worcestershire," said Mr. Luff.

Philip Gretton, the council's spokesman said: "We are looking at various options including trying to set up a trust that would look into acquiring the castle free-hold. It won't be very quick to set up but obviously we can't rush a matter of spending public money and we are looking into it closely."

Mr. Gretton said that the castle - which could in the future be used for public events such as weddings - was due to be discussed by the cabinet on June 11.

A spokesman for the Church Commissioners said: "The Church Commissioners have a good relationship with Worcestershire County Council and we are still talking about the future of Hartlebury Castle with them."

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From the Redditch Standard, 10th June 2008

Castle proposals to be discussed at cabinet

Proposals to undertake detailed work on the long-term future of Hartlebury Castle will be discussed by Worcestershire County Council's cabinet tomorrow (Wednesday). The castle, which has been the home to the Bishop of Worcester for more than 1,000 years, is owned by the Church Commissioners who plan on selling the site and its 40 acres of land after relocating the new Bishop.

Currently a tenant at the site, the county council is considering taking over the running of the castle, provided a viable business case is found for a partnership venture.

Councillor Philip Green, cabinet member for adult and community services, said: "We have been approached by the Commissioners to see if a partnership we could be involved with would be willing to buy the castle, given that the county council already has a presence on the site. However this is a complicated issue that cannot be processed overnight and can only be successfully delivered with a proper business case that stacks up.”

A figure of £3.5million is suspected to be the amount needed to buy the site and exploit its heritage and tourism potential, however this figure would be recouped over the coming years. If the plans go ahead the appeal may be widened to include private contractors who would run events such as weddings and training days in order to generate income.

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From the Redditch Advertiser, 16th June 2008

Castles in the air...

The decision from the Conservative cabinet of Worcestershire County Council to consider purchasing Hartlebury Castle for £3.5 million, has to be one of the most ill considered strategies any council has ever come up with.

At a time when the youth budget has been cut by seven per cent, bus services such as to the hospital and in Plymouth Road are being drastically reduced, the county council banked £2 million of the most recent Government settlement.

At the time I wondered what they were planning to do with the money. Now we know that they want to buy a castle. You may be forgiven for wondering what county councils are supposed to do. I thought it was to repair roads, manage schools and libraries and provide care in old age.

I would be surprised if anyone of any political persuasion, or none, would have listed running a hotel, facilitating wedding receptions or running a farm shop, as being high on the list of priorities. Going into competition with Travel Lodge is not what our county council should be doing!

The cabinet papers on this issue contained statements that were more woolly then the jumpers my great aunt use to knit for me. They were full of the word "could" and "may", further emphasising the holes in the whole project. In short this is a foolish policy which will have no benefit for the people of Redditch at all.

The £3.5 million or whatever the total cost is, should be used on protecting key front line services which benefit us all. In the choice of Save our Services' v Let's buy a Castle' - I hope most of you agree that we should be doing the former and strongly rejecting the latter.

Robin C Lunn
County Councillor
Redditch North

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From the Express & Star, 13th January 2009

Trust in drive to rescue castle

Lottery funding and a public appeal are planned as part of a campaign to save Hartlebury Castle, near Kidderminster, from the hands of private developers. A Preservation Trust has been formed by people trying to retain the building and turn it into a major tourist attraction.

Members of the trust believe that becoming a registered charity would enable it to benefit from Lottery funding. A public appeal is also envisaged to raise vital funding, totalling between £1.5million and £1.75mill-ion, to buy the building from the Church Commissioners.

Hartlebury Castle has for centuries been the home of the Bishops of Worcester until last year when the Church Commissioners decided it had become a financial burden and that the present Bishop Dr John Inge would be better based in Worcester.

Part of the castle is leased long-term to Worcestershire County Museum for exhibitions of artefacts of social history. Members of the Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust, formed by the Friends of Hartlebury Castle and the Hurd Library, say they are determined to acquire the building for the public. The Preservation Trust committee meets tomorrow to decide the next move.

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From the Worcester Journal, 23rd February 2009

Trust goes online to save castle for nation

A charitable trust set up to keep an historic Worcestershire castle open to the public has launched its website. Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust was formed by the Friends of Hartlebury Castle and the Hurd Library and it is being officially launched at a public meeting on Friday, March 6.

The website, hartleburycastletrust.org, provides information about the castle, the library and their history, the trust’s plans for buying and managing the building and information about joining the trust and getting involved.

Until recently Hartlebury Castle was, for 800 years, home to successive Bishops of Worcester. It contains the nationally important Hurd Library which was built by Bishop Hurd in the 18th century and is housed in one of the castle’s three stately rooms. In its collection are works presented to the bishop by his close friend George III.

The building is being sold by the Church Commissioners and the trust fears it will be sold to a property developer or a private buyer, resulting in the library being dismantled and removed. The trust has been formed to acquire and manage the castle and to preserve it for the future so that people can enjoy visiting and using it. It is now Registered Charity number 1127871.

Sue Beeson, chairman of the trust, said: “Whatever the declared intentions or promises of any commercial or private buyer, it is only a charitable trust that presents the chance of guaranteeing public access in perpetuity. The profit requirements of a commercial bid will always jeopardise the goals of accessibility, community benefit and protection of heritage.”

The trust, which has the support of English Heritage and the Georgian Group, is now urging people to write to the Church Commissioners in support of Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust’s plans to acquire and manage the castle and to oppose the sale to a private owner or developer.

Letters should be addressed to: Timothy Walker, Third Church Estates Commissioner, Church House, London SW1P 3AZ. The trust’s official launch meeting will be at 7.30pm in the castle’s Great Hall and anyone is welcome to attend.

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From Berrows Journal, 25th June 2009

Rare chance to glimpse inside a Worcestershire palace

Historic Hartlebury Castle is being fully opened to the public for the first time in two years. Church Commissioners have granted special permission for the impressive state rooms – once the home of the Bishop of Worcester – to re-open this summer.

People can explore bedrooms where royalty once slept, enjoy the tranquillity of the bishop’s private chapel, and admire the mediaeval Great Hall.

Until recently Hartlebury Castle, near Stourport, was for 800 years home to successive Bishops of Worcester. It contains the nationally important Hurd Library which was built by Bishop Hurd in the 18th century and is housed in one of the castle’s three stately rooms. But the future of the 1,000-year-old castle and 40 acres of surrounding land has been hanging in the balance since the building was put up for sale by the Church Commissioners in November 2007.

Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust has been formed by the Friends of Hartlebury Castle and the Hurd Library to try to raise enough money to keep the building open to the public. But it could still be bought by a private owner or developer. Robin Hill is manager of the Worcestershire County Museum, which is housed within one wing of the castle. He urged the public to visit the state rooms, which will be open throughout July and August, while they still can.

“A lot of what you see in these rooms hasn’t been moved or changed for hundreds of years and that’s the magic of Hartlebury,” he said.

Hartlebury’s Great Hall, once used as a garrison for Civil War soldiers, has a timber roof brace that has not been altered since 1395, along with portraits of past bishops and a stone staircase. It was in this hall that the Queen dined when she came to Hartlebury in 1980.

Next door is the elegant saloon with Gothic sash windows and Georgian decoration. The room was used for socialising after feasts and there are contemporary paintings of King George III and Queen Charlotte, as well as a small cupboard for storing an after-dinner chamber pot. Visitors can also see the castle’s peaceful private chapel, with a ceiling that was inspired by Westminster Abbey, and the world-famous Hurd Library, filled with priceless rare books.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our visitors to see the state rooms which have now been closed for two years,” said visitor services officer Rachel Robinson. “The three important historic rooms are very evocative and people taking up this rare chance will be able to get an idea of how previous bishops and their guests may have experienced life inside the castle.”

The state rooms will be open from Wednesday, July 10. Museum admission is £4 for adults and £2 for children. An annual family pass is available for £28. For more information call 01299 250416 or visit worcestershire.gov.uk/museum.

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From the Kidderminster Shuttle, 17th February 2010

Hartlebury Castle campaigners hold meeting

Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust (HCPT) is holding a meeting on Monday at Hartlebury Primary School at 7pm to help find ways to raise the funds needed to buy the castle. The Church Commissioners have agreed to give HCPT an exclusive two year option to buy the castle before they put it on the open market.

HCPT want to make sure the castle can be opened to the public and have extensive plans that include providing access to the Hurd Library, restoring the gardens, holding concerts, exhibitions and workshops, hiring it out for weddings and developing exhibits. Members are urging people with any ideas on how the trust can raise the funds and develop the site to attend the meeting.

Nicola Casey, fund-raising co-ordinator, will outline fund-raising plans and identify people who want to get involved in some of the activities. If you or someone you know wants to attend the meeting or to get involved, e-mail nicola.casey@hartleburycastletrust.org or call 07971413789.

During the next two years, HCPT plans to open the castle for four days each month starting in April. On each of these days it is planned to hold fund-raising events such as school concerts, musical events, dinners, and social functions.

HCPT need to raise £2.5 million within the next two years to purchase the castle and then to carry out essential work to prepare the grounds and buildings for public use. While the trust hopes that much of this will come from grant support, a significant amount must be raised from fund-raising and sponsorship.

HCPT need helpers and volunteers of all ages. To find out more visit www.hartleburycastletrust.org

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From the BBC website, 20th May 2010

Group facing deadline over Hartlebury Castle

Campaigners hoping to stop a castle from falling into private hands have been given two years to raise funds to buy it. The Church of England wants to sell Hartlebury Castle, Hartlebury, Worcestershire. A trust set up by local people faces a target of raising £2.5m to buy the castle, which is also the home of Worcestershire County Museum. The group will bid for grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund among others.

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From the Kidderminster Shuttle, 23rd May 2010

Hartlebury Castle campaigners need £2.5 million

A charitable trust set up to try and keep the historic Hartlebury Castle open to the public says it needs to raise £2.5 million over the next two years to be successful. For the past year Hartlebury Castle Preservation Trust, formed to try to save the castle from sale into private or commercial ownership, has been negotiating with the Church Commissioners who are selling the property. Their aim is to preserve the 1,100 year heritage of the site, to keep the Hurd Library in situ and to protect the property for “the future benefit of all”.

The Church Commissioners have offered to refrain from putting the property on the open market for two years, at which point it will be offered for sale to the highest credible bidder. This gives the trust two years in which to try to raise the funds to compete on the open market.

Members believe that during this period they will make “substantial steps forward” and they do not intend to close the door to an off-market acquisition. They say their campaign to this point has been low key to “ensure the best climate for the sensitive negotiations with the Church Commissioners”. Now they intend to launch a “vigorous” awareness campaign and a major fund-raising effort.

Not only do they need to raise the money to purchase the property, they have estimated the need for significant spending on repairs and restorative work required to put right the building and grounds if they are successful in purchasing it. They have set themselves a target to raise at least £2.5 million over the next two years. Members admit that if they are unsuccessful, it is unlikely that they will be in a position to submit a bid for the property.

Sue Beeson, chairman of the trust, said: “The challenge facing us is monumental but do-able if we can capitalise our support and mobilise the community of Worcestershire and beyond.” She added: “Now is the time for the people of Worcestershire to rally round the trust and show that they care enough about saving Hartlebury Castle to get involved. If they don’t, then it is almost certain that the castle will be sold to a commercial or private buyer and lost to the public forever.”